Space
- Chandrayaan-2’s observations of the lunar exosphere
- India’s Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter made the first-ever observation of the effects of the sun’s
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on the moon. - The observation was made by the Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) payload onboard the orbiter.
- CHACE-2 showed an increase in the total pressure of the dayside lunar exosphere (the moon’s very thin atmosphere) when the CME impacted the moon.
- Significance:
- It provides scientific insight into the lunar exosphere and space weather effects on the moon.
- It highlights the challenges for building scientific bases on the Moon, as lunar base architects must account for such extreme events that temporarily alter the lunar environment.
- Chandrayaan-2 Mission:
- Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019, using the GSLV-MkIII-M1 rocket.
- The mission orbiter carried eight experiment payloads. The Vikram lander lost communication while attempting a soft landing.
